Tag: Lemon

I love muffins. Obviously, judging by all my recipes (favorite one is still the blueberry muffins, although these cherry ones are a close second!) Some people get inspired by great restaurant meals and try to recreate the same thing at home. I don’t try to compare to those talented chefs. Instead, I get inspired when I try a baked good at a restaurant and coffee shop and am disappointed by the flavor or texture. Continue reading “Cherry Chocolate Pecan Muffins”

Lemon meringue pie is a favorite of mine- second only to chocolate- and my parents love the tart yellow fruit in various baked goods (I’ve made Lemon Loaf Cake for mom and Blackberry Lemon Cupcakes for dad). There’s something about the bright, sour taste that draws us in. It also smells delicious and clean, without being sterile. I wanted to dive into the world of lemon through a food science lens.

I’ve been working as an Associate Scientist for a year now. My passion is still in product development, which I’ve been able to focus on for the past five months. Food science is still a strange word, and negative associations abound (what are you doing to my food??), but it’s ultimately about understanding food ingredients and how they interact with each other and the environment.

To introduce the common hobby baker to some of the science behind traditional recipes, I’m starting a new series about ingredient interaction and troubleshooting tips along the way. What better place to start than the simple-seeming, overly-complicated lemon meringue pie? This is the first in a series of 3 posts, one for each component of the pie.Continue reading “The Science of Lemon Meringue Pie {Crust}”

I used to have a blueberry muffin recipe on here, but I just wasn’t satisfied with it. This blueberry muffin with lemon zest recipe is so much better! In my Food Prep lab last semester, we studied muffins and it was interesting to me because we were taught that muffins should be dense, small, and frankly kind of unattractive. But in America we expect muffins to be tall, fluffy, pretty, and sweet…so basically, an unfrosted cupcake.Continue reading “Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest”

Michael and I adore lemon desserts. This one is crispy, creamy, with a subtle lemon flavor. It’s been officially declared a WINNER! It’s best eaten the day it’s made, but you can make the filling and crust separately and assemble whenever you want. I made it for the 4th of July, but it’s perfect anytime during the year! It’s bright, sweet, and tart, filled with citrus notes and cream cheese flavor. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to assemble! Continue reading “Berry Lemon Cheesecake Tart”

This was the coolest experience ever, and I have Iowa State to thank for it. One of the ladies from the Ames Farmers’ Market emailed all the students in the FSHN (Food Science & Human Nutrition) department and asked if anyone would like to volunteer to do a cooking demo at the market. I said yes, not sure of what that even meant.

I was also unsure of how to make a dessert with only an induction burner (which I had to google to know what that even was; apparently it’s a portable stovetop). I bake almost everything in the oven! My one and only idea was mini tart using already-prepared shells.